Tag Archives: Roy Miki

Teaching Social Studies though literature is something I have always found to be the most meaningful and interesting way to teach. Because the students at my school are comfortable using Reading Power strategies, they are ready to apply their thinking to different content areas. One class I am working with at school is focusing on Canada in Social Studies so we have been practicing Reading Power strategies using picture books that are based on true events in Canadian history. Marking the events, dates and locations on a map of Canada is helping us gain perspective and we will end the unit with a time line activity. Canadian history + picture books – ENGAGED LEARNERS!

Inspired by the author’s grandfather’s experiences living in a lodge in the woods, a story of how people and animals survive a forest fire in a small Canadian town in the early 1800’s. Gorgeous illustrations and beautiful writing, perfect for VISUALIZING.

A child tells of escaping to Canada on the Underground Railroad, accompanied by her father, and of following secret signs sewn into quilt patterns. The story is exciting and the quilt-code messages are fascinating.

3. Laura Secord: A Story of Courage – Janet Lunn

Laura Secord became one of Canada’s most celebrated war heroines when, during the War of 1812, she overhears an American soldier’s plan to ambush the British Commander James FitzGibbon. Laura braves miles of rough terrain to warn FitzGibbon, preventing the massacre and saving the lives of hundreds of British soldiers. Informative and interesting introduction and gorgeous illustrations.

A young boy’s heroic efforts to help his parents save their prairie homestead. This book is a wonderful historical glimpse into the beauty and hardships of prairie farm life. Realistic and dramatic prairie landscape illustrations make this an excellent story for VISUALIZING.

In 1885, the Canadian government outlawed Potlatch ceremonies and threatened severe consequences for those who did not obey. Many continued the ceremony in secret. This is the story of a young Native boy and his family who are spirited away by boat to a secret location where he witnesses a Potlatch. Rich, colorful, detailed illustrations. Powerful and thought-provoking. Great for QUESTIONING.

After a train carrying bolts of precious silk derails, a girl, obsessed with longing for a silk blouse, spends weeks combing the nearby river for fabric. This story is inspired by the 1927 derailment of a silk train in British Columbia and includes fascinating historical notes about the speedy silk trains of the 1920’s.

This book recounts the story of how hundreds of Canadian school children in early 1960 wrote letters to Prime Minister John Diefenbaker pleading him to stop the wild horses on Sable Island from being turned into dog food. Amazing story and a great example of the power of persuasion and standing up for what you believe.

This book tells the true Canadian story of Winnipeg, or “Winnie”, the black bear from Ontario who became a mascot for soldiers during World War I and later inspired author A.A. Milne’s most beloved character, Winnie-the-Pooh. Illustrator Sophie Blackall was recently awarded the 2016 Caldecott medal for her illustrations in this book.

At the turn of the nineteenth century, a retired sixty-two-year-old charm school instructor named Annie Edson Taylor, seeking fame and fortune, decided to do something that no one in the world had ever done before-she would go over Niagara Falls in a wooden barrel. A fascinating true story with remarkable life-like illustrations. While Annie Taylor was American, the backdrop for her stunt is certainly Canadian.

By 1884 it was compulsory for the First Nations children of Canada to attend either a day or residential boarding school. This is an excellent book (by the author of the novel Fatty Legs) for younger students to introduce them to the challenges created by residential schools. This story is based on the author’s own experiences and would be an excellent book for making connections, questioning and transform.

This beautifully illustrated book tells the true story of three dolphins trapped in an ice-covered cove on the coast of Newfoundland and the brave teens who rescued them when government officials refused to help. Perfect book for QUESTIONING. You will hold your breath until the last page!

Thanks for stopping by! What is your favorite Canadian picture book to share with your students?

As 2014 comes to an end, many book bloggers are reflecting on the year of reading and highlighting books that made their “best of” list. And so as we come to the end of the year, I am happy to do the same. I have divided my list into categories: Favorite Read-Alouds, Favorite Friendships, Favorite Adventures, Favorite Characters, Favorite Family stories, Favorite Wordless, Favorite Thought Provoking, Favorite Mindful, and Favorite Author.

How do I chose which books make the list? My criteria is simple: these books lingered.

Here is my list of my favorite picture books from 2014:

Favorite Read – Alouds

Hooray for Hat! – Brian Won

This book is a perfect read-aloud for an early primary class. It is colorful, infectious and a true treat to read aloud. Your children will be chanting “Horray for Hat” after only a few pages!

The Book with No Pictures– B.J. Novak

B.J. Novak, actor on the hit TV series The Office, has created a simple and ingenious book. This book will make you laugh and leave children saying “Read it AGAIN!” Delightful and a joy to read out loud! Watch the author share the book with a group of children: http://thebookwithnopictures.com/

Favorite Friendships

The Lion and the Bird– Marianne Dubuc

A quiet, tender story of friendship told through simple text and soft, beautiful illustrations. After a lion helps a wounded bird, they become instant friends and spend the winter together. Spring comes and bird is able to fly. Wonderful message of the need to give friendship wings.

The Farmer and the Clown – Marla Frazee

In this touching ,wordless picture book, a baby clown falls off the circus train and lands in a farmer’s field. An unexpected friendship develops as the farmer and clown spend the day together and discover some surprising things about each other and the world. Reminded me of Raymond Brigg’s The Snowman. I don’t really like clowns but I LOVED this book! Whimsical and moving.

Favorite Adventures:

Three Bears in a Boat – David Soman

Three Bear siblings set off on an adventure to try to replace their mother’s blue shell that they broke. On the way, they encounter whales, sailors, islands and a huge storm. This is a classic picture book filled with adventure, breath-taking illustrations and a message about honesty and taking responsibility. LOVE!

Sam and Dave Dig a Hole– Mac Barnett

Clever, brilliant, quirky, witty, unique, understated, open-ended, thoughtful – there are not enough words to describe this book! Two boys decide to dig a hole and try to find something spectacular. “It’s right there!” you will be shouting! The ending will have you scratching your head and starting the book all over again!

Dolphin SOS– Roy Miki

Based on true events, Dolphin SOS recounts the story of local children who rescue three dolphins trapped in an icecovered cove off the coast of Newfoundland. Gorgeous illustrations, this book will have you holding your breathe and then cheering when the dolphins are finally set free.

Favorite Characters (I hope will be made into stuffies!)

Little Elliot in the Big City – Mike Curato

This is a sweet, simple story about an adorable little elephant named Elliot trying to make his way in the Big City. Life is not easy for a small elephant but Elliot has a big heart and makes friends with someone even smaller than himself. An adorable story of friendship and finding ones place in the world, not to mention cupcakes! Amazing illustrations!

Sparky – Jenny Offill

This delightful story about an animal-loving girl who orders a sloth from a catalogue. When the creature arrives, she names it Sparky – but sadly it does not live up to its name. Sparky is not good at tricks or hide-and-seek or anything really. But you, as I did, will fall in love with this charming, irresistible sloth!

Favorite Family Stories

Nana in the City – Lauren Castillo

Wonderful story of a young boy who spends the night at his grandmother’s house in New York City. He is afraid of the noise and business of the city but Nana takes him for a walk and he soon sees the city through her eyes. A heartwarming story of reassurance, family and being brave. Love the illustrations in this book.

The Troublemaker – Lauren Castillo

This book (yes, same author as Nana in the City!) is about family and sibling rivalry. A young boy gets into trouble when he hides his sister’s bunny. But when it goes missing a second time, they discover he is not the only troublemaker around. Delightful story with a bit of a surprise ending, unless you have noticed the clues!

Favorite Thought – Provoking

The Promise – Nicola Davies

Haunting, powerful, moving. This story follows a child thief who lives in an empty, colorless place. She steals a bag from an old lady and plants the seeds she finds inside, after making a promise, and in doing so, begins to change the world. A story of hope and of promise.

I Know a Bear-Mariana Ruiz Johnson

Wow – I think this just might be my favorite of my favorites and certainly the most thought-provoking. Told in sparse text and gorgeous illustrations (I’ve been saying that a lot, it seems!) a young girl listens as a bear tells her of the wonderful place he used to live. But he doesn’t experience the sweet berries or the cool water anymore; he lives in a zoo. This is a book about listening, about caring and about doing what’s right. Such a wonderful book for promoting discussions about animals in captivity. AMAZING!

What Do You Do With An Idea? – Kobi Yamada

Inspiring and motivating story of nurturing ideas no matter how small and insignificant they may seem. Great book to teach personification as the “idea” in the story is personified as an egg. Brilliant!

Favorite Wordless

Fox’s Garden – Princesse CamCam

Breath-taking illustrations tell the touching story of compassion and friendship. A dreamy, wordless story about a boy who feeds a mother fox on cold winter’s night after she is lost and chased away by grown-ups. Simple, wintery and wonderful.

Flora and the Penguin – Molly Idle

We first met Flora when she learned to dance ballet with a pink Flamingo. In this follow-up, Flora delights us once again with her twirling, leaping, gliding and spinning her friend penguin as they skate their friendship across the ice. Innovative, clever, captivating, charming.

Favorite Mindful/ Gratitude Books

100 Things That Make Me Happy – Amy Schwartz

Written in the rhyming lyrics of “Raindrops on Roses” – this book celebrates the joy that can be found in everyday things. A wonderful book to share with younger children and inspire them to make their own list of “happy” things! Lovely, whimsical illustrations!

Breathe – Scott Magoon

Follow a young whale exploring the ocean and finding joy in simple pleasure. But remember – pause and breathe. Sparse, lyrical text and gorgeous illustrations – this inspiring book is a delight to read and helpful to teach children how to be calm and relax.

Favorite Author

Taan’s Moons: A Haida Moon Story– Alison Gear

This book was written by my sister and so OF COURSE it is on my list of favorite books! But aside from the fact that my sister wrote it, it is an exceptionally beautiful book! The story follows the Haida moon cycle through a year in the life of Taan (Haida for “bear”). We follow Taan as she experiences the changing of the season and the changes in the moon. The felt illustrations were created by a local artist and the children of Haida Gwaii. Read the story of this remarkable book here: http://www.kikivanderheiden.com/taans-moons.html

Well, there you have it! There were SO many other books I could have included! Thanks for stopping by! Please leave me a message to tell me what are your favorite picture books from 2014?

I’m happy to be joining in the weekly IMWAYR posts, hosted by Jen from Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee from Unleashing Readers.

Dolphin SOS – Roy Miki

This powerful story is based on a true event that occurred off the coast of Newfoundland. It is the story of some children who, after following the sound of cries, discover 3 dolphins trapped under the ice. When the government does not supply the proper support, (hmm… connections anyone?) the children take it upon themselves to rescue the distressed dolphins themselves. This is a powerful story of perseverance and I know my students will be captivated as the story unfolds. The illustrations are stunning and reminded me of Steven Jenkins’s collage style. I LOVED this story and I have added it to my collection of QUESTIONING books!

Hug Machine– Scott Campbell

This simple heart warming book will inspire hugs from everyone! This adorable little boy has mad hugging skills and finds a way to hug everyone and anyone! (even whales and ice cream trucks!) The illustrations are soft and simple and the expressions on this hugger’s face are delightful – I was smiling on every page! I HUG this book!

The Flat Rabbit– Barour Oskarsson

Well, I was a little unsure of this book when I first started reading it as the “flat” rabbit is referring to a dead rabbit. But after a second and third read, I came to the realization that this book is really about death but deals with the concept with a quirky, gently and compassionate way with just a touch of humour. This book is about caring and thoughtfulness and how a dog and rat pay respect to their “flat” friend. I loved the illustrations and the fact that the story is told in simply and with little text. Another great choice for inferring as there is lots of space for readers to add their thinking.

Fox’s Garden– Princesse Camcan

This is a beautiful (and I mean BEAUTIFUL!) wordless picture book (think INFERRING!) that tells the story of a lost fox who, when turned away from by the adults of the village, is treated with kindness and care by a small boy. It is a gentle story of compassion, kindness and gratitude. The soft illustrations made me sigh… ahhhh… this is a gem.

Telephone – Mac Barnett

Remember the game of “telephone” you played as a child? Whispering a message down a line and then laughing at how it changes? In this book, Mama bird wants her son Peter to come home for dinner, so she sends the message down the telephone line, literally! The message moves down the line from bird to bird but gets garbled as it goes. What makes the book fun is seeing how each bird adds their own interest to the message – which makes it a perfect book for practicing INFERING! The illustrations give hints too! Lots of fun!

Leory Ninker Saddles Up– Kate deCamillo

Yippie-Kai-Eh! What is not to love about this book? It has action, great characters, humour, and fabulous illustrations by Chris Van Dusen. Leroy dreams of becoming a cowboy – he has hats, boots and a lasso and he is ready to stand up for justice! All he needs is a horse! Enter Maybelline – the horse who puts an add in the paper to find a new owner. And there you have the makings of a delightful first book in a new beginning chapter series by the brilliant Kate deCamillo! Would make a great read-aloud for Gr. 2-3!

El Deafo by Cece Bell

When author/illustrator Cece Bell was 4, she contracted meningitis and lost the hearing in both ears. Nicknamed “El Deafo”, when she began school in the early 70’s, she was “hooked up” to a awkward and very unattractive, bulky boxed hearing aide. But with it, Cece discovers she has super sonic ear powers! This inspiring graphic memoir recounts the story of Cece’s real life experiences trying to come to term with her disability and trying to develop both confidence in herself and in her ability to make friends. The characters, depicted as rabbits, are delightful, the writing is poetic and Cece is brave and beautiful. I could not put this book down – it is tender and insightful and I loved every frame.

Dark Lord – The Teenage Years – Jamie Thomson

This book is hilarious! When Dark Lord hurls down to earth unexpectantly, he lands in a parking lot trapped in the body of a 13 year old. When Medics arrive, he mumbles, “I am the Dark Lord” – but what comes out sounds like “I am Derk Llyod”! I was laughing out loud when I read this! So the poor “Dirk Lloyd” gets placed into a foster home – where he proceeds to try to prove who he is, while dealing with a cast of characters from the foster home! Clever, funny, great writing!